Cap for snap fasteners



June 25, 194e. c, J. HUELST'ER 2,402,629

CAP FOR SNAP FASTENERS Filed Marfch l, 1944' INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 25, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAP FOR SNAP FASTENERS Application March l, 1944, Serial No. 524,827

This invention relates to snap fastener installations of the general type and kind employing sockets which include yieldable portions and with which stud-like elements are adapted to be coupled anduncoupled. More particularly, the invention relates to the construction of socket portions of fasteners of the kind defined and, still more particularly, to the structure of the outer cap member of devices of this kind. The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed, and in which the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each o! the views and in which:

Fig. l is a plan view showing the cap side of a socket member as attached to a support.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Figl 2 showing the cap in detached position with the prongs of the cap in the position assumed thereby, prior to the coupling with the socket part, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of a prior application iiled by me February 8, 1944 and bearing Serial Number 521,741. With the present construction, I employ a cap on the socket member of fasteners of the kind under consideration, which employs a plurality of prongs formed from the flange or marginal portion of the cap in securing the socket and cap parts togetherand to a support. I also employ circumferentially spaced inwardly projecting members on said marginal portion for retaining the cap and socket against movement on the support. The flange or marginal portion of the cap includes a circumferential outwardly turned edge portion adapted to be embedded in the support. This turned edge portion will prevent the cap from cutting into the support, particularly when the cap of the socket member is subjected to pressures which might tend to produce this cutting action.

By employing the inwardly projecting members on the marginal portion, reinforcing ribs are formed at the periphery of the cap to give greater strength and rigidity to the cap. With this construction, it is possible to use thinner materials in the cap than would otherwise be necessary in order to maintain or sustain the shape or contour thereof, in the different uses to which the device may be subjected and also to the stresses or strains to which the device is subjected in pass- 3 Claims. (Cl. 24--Z16) ing through laundering apparatus of various types and kinds.

The socket member of fasteners of the kind under consideration is generally indicated by the reference 5. This member comprises two parts, namely a socket part 6 and cap part l, both composed of sheet material. These parts are arranged on opposite surfaces of and secured to a suitable support 8. The support 8 when constituting part of a garment or article of apparel, is usually composed of a fabric.

The socket part vli is substantially of the same general construction disclosed in the application above identified and comprises a ring-like body having an inturned circumferential flange 9. The bore of the part 6 is formed by circumferentially spaced spring members I0, having at their inner ends inturned flanges or lips I I adapted to en gage the headed portion of studs commonly employed in conjunction with socket members of the class under consideration. The stud is not shown, as it forms no part of the present invention.

The cap part 1 has a central outwardly offset dome portion I2, This offset forms a groove I3 at the periphery of the dome portion and also inwardly projecting members I4.

Outwardly and circumferentially of the central dome portion I 2V is a'downwardly or inwardly curved circumferential ange I5. The ange I5 is cutout at circumferentially spaced intervals, as seen at I6, and these cutouts form inwardly projecting prongs I1 extending from the periphery of the dome portion I2 and normally arranged perpendicularly, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. However, in the assemblage of the parts 6 and 'I, the prongs I'I pierce or otherwise pass through the support 8 and then are flexed outwardly into engagement with the inturned flange 9 of the socket part 6 in securing the parts together, as clearly seen at the left of Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The iiange I'S intermediate the cutouts I' is provided with circumferentially elongated inwardly pressed beads or ribs I8 which might also be defined as circumferential corrugations. These ribs are arranged outwardly of the rounded portions I9 of the flange 9 so as to securely grip the support 8 at circumferentially spaced intervals in retaining the cap part 'I, as Well as the socket part 6 against shifting or rotation on the support. This gripping is also further aided by the inward projections I4, which are arranged adjacent the upper rounded ends 20 of the socket member, as will clearly be seen at the right side of Fig. 2 of the drawing. The beads or ribs I8, in addition to forming what might be termed jaw members for firmly gripping the support, also provide reinforcing ribs which materially strengthen and give rigidity to the flange portion of the cap and, from this standpoint, it will be understood that thinner sheet materials can thus be used in constructing the cap. The ange portion is further reinforced by an inward circumferential depression 2i at the peripheral edge portion of the flange and, in addition to giving strength to this edge portion, the depression 2! ilares the outer edge 22 upwardly, thus preventing this edge from digging into the support, where the support is depressed, as seen at 23 by the edge portion of the fiange.

It will appear from a consideration of Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing that the edge portion or rim of the liange l5 is arranged entirely below the dome portion l2 and overlaps a portion of the posed of various types and kinds of sheet metal or of plastic material. On the other hand, one

of the parts may be composedr of plastic material and the other of metal. -When plastic material is employed in the cap part, in some instances, it may be necessary to prepierce the support for the reception of the prongs and, further, the prongs may have to be heated to enable the same to flex outwardly in coupling the cap part with the socket part. However, upon cooling, the prongs will retain their flexed position.

It will also be apparent that, when the support 8 is composed of flexible material, part of this material will extend into the apertures I6, as is indicated at 24 at the left ofFig. 2 of the drawing. Furthermore, in firmly securing the parts 6 and l on the support, part ofv the support will be bulged into the central portion of the socket part, as Y indicated at 25 in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In socket members of snap fasteners, the combination with a socket part having an inturned marginal ange presenting a circumferential outer peripheral surface on said part, of a cap part, means on the cap part engaging the inturned flange of the socket part for coupling said parts together with a support arran ed therebetween, and said cap part having inwar ly projecting and circumferentially elongated me ns arranged in alinement with the outer periph ral surface of the socket part in securely engaging the support disposed therebetween.

2. In socket members of snap fasteners, the combination with a socket part having an inturned marginal flange presenting a circumferential outer peripheral surface on said part, of a cap part, means on the cap part engaging the inturned flange of the socket part for coupling said parts together with a support arranged therebetween, said cap part having inwardly projecting and circumferentially elongated means arranged in alinement with the outer peripheral surface of the socket part in securely engaging the support disposed therebetween, and said last named means comprising rib members spaced circumferentially one with respect to the other.

3. In socket members of snap fasteners, the combination with a socket part having an inturned marginal flange presenting a circumferential outer peripheral surface on said part, of a cap part, means on the cap part engaging the inturned flange of the socket part for coupling said par-ts together with a support arranged therebetween, said cap part having inwardly projecting and circumlerentially elongated means arranged in alinement with the outer peripheral surface of the socket part in securely engaging the support vdisposed, therebetween, said last named means comprising rib members spaced circumferentially one with respect to the other, said members being arranged on a marginal portion of said cap part, and the periphery of said marginal portion having an annular circumferential projection on the inner surface thereof.

lOTTO J. HUELSTER. 

